


when we touch, don't ever let me go

by thesunandthestars



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, enjoy!!, from the bughead drabble challenge, lil bughead drabbles, posting them here so I don't lose them to the tumblr void
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24814009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesunandthestars/pseuds/thesunandthestars
Summary: Bughead drabbles and other little slices of life.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	1. june - day one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Bughead Drabble Challenge, June Edition - Day 1.

**Lost in the woods**

They’re deep in the woods now, flashlight beams scattering over thick foliage. Everything looks the same; they could be walking in circles, for all Betty knows.

“I think we’re lost, Jug.”

He glances at her, squeezing her hand. “Maybe. Just a few more minutes; I know he’s out here.”

Betty usually loves the moonlight, but tonight its glow is eerie, bone-chilling. Every time a bush rustles or an owl hoots, she’s put on edge.

Even as the thrill of investigating pumps through her veins, Betty can’t help but hope they _don’t_ encounter the Gargoyle King. Not tonight.

But they do. 

-

**Heat wave**

Every fiber of her being is roasting. She feels like she’s melting, like she’s oozing into the carpet and collecting in a woman-shaped puddle. 

That’s how Jughead finds her—sprawled out on their living room floor, eyes closed and skin slick with sweat.

“God, it’s _boiling_ ,” she says in lieu of a greeting, eyes fluttering open at the sound of his footsteps.

“I know.” He’s got a glass of ice water pressed to his forehead, and despite the heat, he’s grinning. “Wanna go find a sprinkler and run around in it until we get yelled at?”

She groans appreciatively. “ _Hell_ yeah.”

-

**Missing scene**

“Hey, Betts?” Jughead kicks the door to the _Blue and Gold_ office open, arms laden with prints of next week’s issue. “Got the prints.”

“Over here,” she calls. He sets the newspapers on the desk and joins her in front of their murder board. Betty’s fingers are resting on one of the Post-It notes, tracing the letters in her sister’s name. “I’m worried about Polly.”

He doesn’t want to make any empty promises—instead, Jughead slips his hand into her free one, ignoring the flip in his chest as their fingers slot together.

He squeezes her hand, and she squeezes back.


	2. june - day two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Bughead Drabble Challenge, June Edition - Day 2.

**Prom/graduation**

“Taylor Swift? Seriously?”

Betty smirks at Jughead’s pained expression. “Yes, seriously.” She twirls in his arms, singing, “ _It’s a love story, baby, just say yes_ ,” as he tries (and fails) to tamper his smile.

Betty’s barred from prom this year, and Jughead couldn’t be less interested in going to a school dance without her, so they're having their own prom of sorts, right there in their bedroom. There’s no buffet table, which is kind of disappointing, but he’s got Betty in his arms, so he really can’t complain.

When she sings, “ _Marry me, Juliet_ ,” he promises himself that he will.

-

**Two truths and a lie (angst)**

“Jughead, _please_. I-I didn’t…I never meant to do this to you, I swear.”

She’s pleading with him, begging, sobbing, but he refuses to say a word. He can’t let her know he’s close to breaking down himself, heart shattered all over the floor with no hopes of stitching it back together. 

_I love you_ , she says. _I’ll never stop loving you_ and _you’re the only man for me_. It reminds him of that game they used to play as kids: two truths and a lie. 

One of those things was a lie, and it turns out it was the latter.

-

**Chatroom/discord server**

“Hey, Betts,” he greets when she accepts the call, grinning at her messy bun and translucent face mask. “How are you and your chatroom-addicted roommate?”

Onscreen, Betty rolls her eyes affectionately. “We’re good. Melissa is _great_ , apparently. She’s been talking to some guy who loves the NBA as much as she does, though probably for a different reason.”

Jughead snorts. “Just be glad we first bonded over normal stuff, like serial killers and organ-harvesting cults.”

She giggles at that. “I miss you.”

Her face mask crinkles as she smiles and he’s never seen someone more beautiful. “I miss you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the second one, the idea wouldn't leave me alone and I thought it was more interesting than a typical Two Truths and a Lie scenario. Please don't kill me lol.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @ [thesunandthestarss](https://thesunandthestarss.tumblr.com/). <3


	3. june - day three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Bughead Drabble Challenge, June Edition - Day 3.

**Awkward date**

It’s not a date. 

At least, not really. On the outside—and to Trev—it (hopefully) seems that way. But to Betty, it’s primarily an intelligence-gathering mission, because, well… 

They’re having a nice time. Trev is sweet and pleasant; she’s having a nice time, honestly. But she doesn’t want _nice_. She wants someone who can keep up with her, support her, distract her from the mess that is Riverdale.

(And she already knows someone who’s all that.

It’s Jughead.)

Trev is _nice_ , but then she thinks about a flop of dark hair and a soft smile and her heart does a flip.

-

**Someone else**

There’s a knock at her door. 

“Come in!” Betty calls, twisting and turning in front of the mirror to inspect the new underwear set Veronica insisted she buys. “What do you… _oh my God_.”

The person who meets her gaze is _not_ Veronica. “ _Shit_ ,” Jughead spits out, spinning on his heel to face the wall. “I’m sorry, I…”

“No, no, it’s my fault.” She yanks her robe out of the closet and tugs it over herself. “I was expecting Veronica.”

“Yeah.” He cautiously turns back toward her. “I just…you looked, uh, nice, by the way.” He’s floundering, cheeks aflame.

“Oh.” _Oh._

-

**Fatherhood**

“Oh my God, Jug. Look at her.”

Betty is exhausted but glowing, a baby curled up on her chest. “She’s gorgeous,” Jughead agrees, heart pounding with affection for their daughter. Their _daughter_. She’s so, so small and she’s theirs and nothing has felt so right.

He reaches up to brush his wife’s sweaty hair back and presses his lips to her forehead. “I’m so, so proud of you.”

Betty beams. “I know. I’m proud of you too.” She finds his hand and squeezes, and he loves them both so fiercely he feels it in his bones.

Their daughter coos contentedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! <3


	4. june - day four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Bughead Drabble Challenge, June Edition - Day 4.

**Are YOU the babysitter?**

Betty can’t help it—she stands in the doorway, mouth agape. “I’m so sorry, I…you’re Jughead, right?” she says finally, reaching a hand out for him to shake. “The babysitter.”

Normally, her Cooper-bred manners are impeccable, but Betty’s had a very long day and she was thoroughly unprepared to meet the babysitter she’d hired last-minute to watch her niece and nephew and find that he’s…well. From Veronica’s description of her boyfriend’s best friend, Betty had been expecting some scraggly, scowling hipster, but, as it turns out, Jughead Jones is anything but.

For lack of a better word, he’s pretty damn _hot_. 

-

**The Blue and Gold Couch**

“You ready?”

Betty’s standing in the middle of the _Blue and Gold_ office, hands on her hips and a nostalgic smile on her face. “Almost. Just…I’m gonna miss this place so much.”

Behind her, Jughead places a hand gently on the curve of her waist. She can hear the smirk in his voice when he says, “I think I’m going to miss that couch most of all.”

She bites her lip at that. “Mm-hmm. Me too.”

“Well, there’s no need to say goodbye quite yet.” Eyes dancing with mischief, Jughead leans closer. “What d’you say we make one last memory?”

-

**Toni**

“I need to know, Jug,” she says, curled up on Lodge Lodge’s plush sheets. “Did you ever…feel anything for Toni? In any way?”

She tries not to take his hesitation the wrong way. “No,” he answers finally. “She’s...” He shakes his head. “That night, kissing her felt…empty. Hollow. And I was angry at you, and devastated, but…you’re it for me. I hope you know that.”

He folds her into his embrace, kissing away her tears. “No one else has ever known me like you do, Betty, _loved_ me like you do.”

And oh, she does. “I do. I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just say I find it hilarious that we as a fandom have collectively agreed that there's a couch in the Blue and Gold office even though there definitely isn't.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading and visit me on tumblr @ [thesunandthestarss](https://thesunandthestarss.tumblr.com/)! <3


	5. june - day five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Bughead Drabble Challenge, June Edition - Day 5.

**Rescue mission**

“Juggie!” She grins. “What are you doing here?”

He’s leaning precariously against the window frame. “Rescuing you, of course,” Jughead answers, mouth curling. “Thought you could use an escape from all the Chic drama.”

Betty sighs gratefully, shutting her textbook and sliding off her bed. “Thank you.” Jughead disappears down the ladder he’s propped up against the house and, once he’s at the bottom, she follows. “Where to?”

He tugs her closer and she gladly melts into his embrace. “Anywhere you want.”

“Pop’s?”

Jughead grins. “I’d never turn down a good burger.”

She kisses him, long and slow. “I know.”

-

**Role reversal (angst)**

She looks so small lying in that hospital bed, so delicate. Everything he knows she isn’t. Betty is strong and capable and nothing like this shell of his girlfriend that he sees curled up on top of the thin sheets. 

It should be him in that hospital bed, he thinks. 

(It was him, mere months ago. Bloody and bruised and aching.)

“I’m so sorry,” she says. “I’m so sorry you have to see me like this.”

“You had a _seizure_ , Betty. I’m worried about you.”

“I know.” Tears trail down her cheeks, and he carefully kisses them away. “I know.”

-

**Reality show**

“...and then Rebecca _had_ to show up and ruin everything.” Kevin scoffs. 

“Do I want to know?” Jughead says in lieu of a greeting, nudging the door open and dropping his bag on the desk.

Betty makes a little noise, like the lilt of a giggle. “Kevin was just filling me in on last night’s episode of the Matchelorette,” she tells him.

“Ah, of course.” Jughead nods with faux-seriousness. “Which you don’t watch.”

Kevin rolls his eyes. “C’mon, guys. Reality TV’s insanely popular for a reason.”

Betty hums in agreement, but they can both tell she’s trying not to laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be completely honest, I've never seen the Bachelorette (or the Bachelor) in my life, so I have no idea how it works. (And Rebecca was the first name that came to my mind lol.)
> 
> Love you all <3


	6. june - day six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Bughead Drabble Challenge, June Edition - Day 6.

**Fred’s ladder**

It becomes a habit, using the ladder. It’s propped up against the Cooper house more often than not—Fred only uses it to clean the roof or to hang Christmas lights.

“You’re going to break a leg someday,” Betty warns him, though she’s certainly not discouraging the late-night visits.

Jughead shrugs. “How else am I supposed to sneak in here without getting caught? Your mom’s definitely the type to lurk in the shadows downstairs all night in case I try to use the front door.”

She can’t argue with that. “Just be careful.”

He smirks. “I thought you liked me reckless.”

-

**Cartoons**

“Morning, you two.”

Over the rim of her coffee mug, Betty smiles at her husband and daughter, curled up on the couch in front of the TV. Jughead grins back. “Look, bugaboo,” he says, bouncing Juliet on his knee to get her attention, “Mommy’s awake.”

Juliet scrambles off her father’s lap. “We’re watching Saturday morning cartoons!” she announces, pulling Betty onto the couch with her. 

“Ooh, fun!” She shares an amused look with Jughead, whose arm snakes around her waist to pull her against his side.

“This show gets on my nerves,” Jughead admits, whispering against Betty’s temple. She giggles. 

-

**“I’m not jealous” (angst-ish? just a bit)**

“I’m sorry about Yale,” Betty says, propping her chin on his chest. “I feel kinda guilty for taking your place.”

With the smallest of sighs, Jughead shifts onto his side, thumb stroking her waist. “It’s okay, Betty. Seriously. I’m not jealous, I promise.” She smiles a little at the way his mouth curves playfully. “I think Iowa is a good fit for me,” he continues slowly, carefully, and Betty nods, trying not to think of the distance they’ll have to endure. 

“I’m proud of you,” she tells him, pressing a kiss to his jaw, and settles back into his embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more day! :(
> 
> Visit me on tumblr @ [thesunandthestarss](https://thesunandthestarss.tumblr.com/) if you feel so inclined. <3


	7. june - day seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Bughead Drabble Challenge, June Edition - Day 7.

**My pet platypus**

At the sound of a key jangling in the lock, Jughead looks up from his laptop. Betty’s blonde head appears in the doorway. “Hey, babe,” he greets. “How was work?”

Betty smiles, albeit a bit tiredly. “Fine. Busy.” She sets her purse down and slumps against Jughead’s side. “Where’s Juliet?”

He kisses her forehead. “In her room. She’s been playing My Pet Platypus all afternoon.”

Betty arches an eyebrow. “Ah. Of course. Can’t neglect your virtual pet platypus.”

“She’s gotta look after it,” he agrees, playing along to put a smile on her face. “It could run away.”

(It works.)

-

**A job interview**

“Alright, let’s begin. Your full name, please.”

Betty raises an eyebrow at her mother but promptly responds with, “Elizabeth Anne Cooper.”

Alice jots something down on her notepad and then peers back up at her daughter over the rims of her glasses. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Mom,” Betty sighs, “Is this really necessary? You’re my _mother_. You know all about my past work experience and my qualifications.”

“I’m treating you like I would any other applicant, Betty,” Alice tuts, shaking her head. “This is good practice for the future.”

Betty sighs. _God_ , this is going to be a long interview. 

-

**Skinny dipping**

“Okay, you guys can look now!”

Betty turns back toward her friends, who are treading neck-deep in the cool river water. Archie waves a hand. “C’mon in!”

Next to her, Jughead groans. “Why did I agree to this?” he grumbles, but dutifully waits for Archie and Veronica to turn away before stripping off his clothes. 

Betty does the same, shivering as the early September air nips at her bare skin. “You ready?” she asks him, slipping her hand into his.

He shrugs. “As I’ll ever be.”

“Alright.” She pulls him to the edge of the rock. “One, two, three, _jump_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this is the end! Hopefully we have another round next month.
> 
> Until then (if I don't post the first chapter of my current WIP by then), ta ta! Visit me on tumblr @ [thesunandthestarss](https://thesunandthestarss.tumblr.com/). Love you guys <3


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